In this manner, the US army would slowly but surely tie the noose around the mountain’s inhabitants.
The Moro people, on the other hand, were told to hide in the shadows and attack the US soldiers whenever their guard was down. The other Moro that were defending the outposts were told to put their lives on the line to defend the mountain — and that they would be branded as cowards if they failed their duty.
This type of strategy from both sides worked on and off for both sides and the simulation proceeded like this for four months. Both sides suffered hundreds in casualties, yet neither side was willing to back down.
Chapter 27
Unexpected Outcome
Ban Chao was on edge. During these four months of fighting, he hadn't heard any news of Han Xin. This was a troubling matter, especially because this meant that he had no information as to what Han Xin’s next actions would be.
However, he hadn't heard anything for four months and was beginning to get a bit antsy. Over the last four months, his men had made tough, but steady, progress up the mountain. Yet, Han Xin hadn’t led any of his men to counterattack. Was Han Xin just planning on waiting it out?
By this point, Ban Chao's men had cleared and captured about half of the mountain. With each outpost captured, each Moro killed, their side gained more and more momentum — and in war, momentum was a huge factor.
Some messengers had arrived and told him that a few soldiers had fallen into a large pitfall trap and had been impaled by spears stuck into the ground.
It was at this point that Ban Chao realized a bit of what Han Xin had planned out for him. He understood that it was likely that Han Xin had prepared many traps for Ban Chao's men. This was just one type of trap, and Ban Chao was sure that there would be more waiting.
Ban Chao halted his army’s progress, and set a rendezvous point. He’d decided to form a group of scouts to survey the area for traps before the rest of his army moved forward.
The army moved around like this for the next few weeks until finally, Ban Chao decided to return to the previous strategy. This was because it turned out that there weren’t many traps set up, and the area that each platoon had to cover was also lower — they would be safer than before.
During the first four months of battle, Ban Chao had been concerned with hitting every single outpost, but he now decided that they should leave a few outposts untouched so as to confuse the enemy. Also, the point of having so many outposts was to make it time-consuming for his forces to push through.
If a campaign was too time-consuming, there would be many disadvantages for the attacking army. First of all, morale was a big issue. If a campaign dragged on too long soldiers would lose morale and some could even desert. Second, this extra time could be used by the defending army to create further preparations.
Lastly, Ban Chao only had so much food for his soldiers. He’d begun rationing them early, but even so, they’d eaten through a great deal of their food storages. If the battle didn’t conclude soon, then Ban Chao would be, quite literally, starved of victory.
***
On the defending side.
Han Xin had not been idle the past four months. He had constructed a multitude of different traps and prepared many different ways of conducting guerilla warfare. The outposts constructed during the month of preparation had worked wonderfully for his plans.
He’d needed the US troops to be occupied for long enough for him to build something that would guarantee him the victory. And after four months, it had finally been finished.
Multiple rocketed gunpowder missiles. If the repeated crossbow could be likened to an ancient machine gun, then rocketed gunpowder could be considered an ancient rocket launcher. A small circular box filled with gunpowder and a fuse was attached to a long stick. The fuse would be lit, and it would fly off in the aimed direction and explode on impact. Just like a rocket launcher.
He’d had his men secretly steal the gunpowder needed to make the rocketed gunpowder missiles. With them, he now had the perfect way of dealing with the attacking soldiers. He would lure them into outposts then have his men retreat. As soon as they were outside of the blast zone, he would launch the projectiles into the outpost… and let hell let loose.
Han Xin chose an outpost, codenamed “Key", to be the attack point. It was big enough to hold all of Ban Chao’s forces. It was also hard to break into, even more difficult to leave. Han Xin had a few more outposts similar to it, but Key was unique in how much it resembled a smaller outpost — at least from the outside.
The only issue was that Ban Chao had begun to skip some outposts — so he needed to present something valuable enough at Key to make sure that Ban Chao would attack it.
***
“General Ban Chao, sir.” A messenger saluted Ban Chao.
“What’s the matter?”
“We’ve received word that Han Xin is personally leading the defense of an outpost so as to guarantee its defenses.”
“Peculiar…” Ban Chao muttered under his breath. “Could there be something important enough there for Han Xin to personally lead the garrison? Are they building something to use against us?
“Hmm… soldier, get me a map of the area surrounding the outpost.”
“Yes, sir.” The messenger promptly returned with a map.
“Let's see, here. The terrain around the outpost makes taking it rather difficult. The size of the outpost alone makes it impossible for his forces to properly fight us here… and...
“Wait, hold on. If we did manage to capture it, then the rest of the outposts would follow. It’s a fairly strategic landmark. We need to take this outpost. Sound the horn. We will strike this outpost in one week’s time.”
“Of course sir.” The messenger left to sound the horn and within a few hours, all of the US soldiers were gathered around the main camp, ready for briefing.
Ban Chao spoke to his troops. “Alright everyone, I have gathered all of you here to tell you that our next objective is to take two outposts controlled by the Moro. Now, these two outposts are a bit bigger than the ones we have previously attacked so we will be attacking both at the same time. Your leaders have had the detailed plans given to them. Report and be briefed. God bless.”
Obviously, the attack on the second outpost was a feint. He would have a group first attack the other outpost and destroy it. Once he was sure that Han Xin had received the news, then he would march with the other part of the split army to capture the key outpost himself. He knew of the possibility of Han Xin placing spies amongst his men, so he didn’t dare reveal his true plan.
The group to attack the other outpost set out that very night, and two nights later they began to lay siege to that outpost. Within two days, with the help of Ban Chao's plan, that outpost fell and they moved onto their next target. Another outpost that was even further away than Key than the one they just conquered. Ban Chao thought that having this army continuously moving in another direction would cause great confusion to Han Xin, and hopefully, Han Xin would leave Key to stop the advance of the other army.
However, Han Xin stayed where he was, and after a few days of waiting, Ban Chao personally led his group to lay waste to the outpost. Even though they were slowly pushing through, the resistance was fierce and they quickly lost a few hundred men.
It was a direct battle of Han Xin's tactics against Ban Chao's tactics. After four days of intense fighting Ban Chao's men finally broke through the wooden fortress that was Key, and they rounded up all the survivors. It was nearly night so they decided to camp within Key to rest for the night and regroup after a good night's rest. This would prove to be a fatal mistake on Ban Chao's part.
During the course of the four-day crossfire, Han Xin had sneaked most of his men out to the surrounding forest. This had weakened Key’s defense with each day until Ban Chao and his men were able to break through. Finally, in the middle of the night, when Ban Chao’s men were resting, Han Xin launched most of his rocketed gunpowder stockpile right into
the heart of Key. Within mere moments, the wooden outpost was engulfed in flames — and Ban Chao finally realized why he’d been able to break into the outpost so steadily and forcefully.
It was because Han Xin had let him.
Chapter 28
One More Time
With the ambush and the confusion it caused, Ban Chao's army was left in complete and utter disarray. Ban Chao and his officers tried to restore order, but their voices were drowned out by a combination of screams and explosions.
Halfway through the night, the attack stopped and Ban Chao realized just how much of a loss he had just taken. Close to two-thirds of his men were dead or injured. He had tried to evacuate everyone, but every time he’d gathered up some of his men they were soon separated by the flames, or beset by Moro ambushers.
He still had another army but with how many casualties he had taken, morale would be basically nonexistent. He felt complete despair. So much so, that he immediately surrendered upon hearing the casualty toll.
***
Baron, Yue Fei, and Xu Da were surprised, to say the least. Not only because Ban Chao had been forced to surrender, but because Han Xin had managed to force Ban Chao into such dire straits in a matter of hours. They called for another meeting to discuss the simulation and Han Xin.
Baron started it off. “So what did you guys think? Ban Chao, give us your thoughts first.”
“He is a very patient man, and he seems to have exceptional perception of the battlefield. I was absolutely no match for him. Even with my initial advantages, I lost so horribly.”
Baron patted his friend on the shoulder. “Don't say that. Han Xin did a wonderful job manipulating you.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better, Baron.”
Yue Fei put the conversation back on track. “Is there anything that you noticed while facing Han Xin?”
Ban Chao mused before speaking. “For the first four months, it seemed like Han Xin was completely nonexistent. He didn't make any major moves, and he just let me take any outpost that I wanted. HOnce he did launch his counterattack though, I had no way of retaliating.”
Baron tapped his chin. “It seems that this is a habit of Han Xin’s.
“Huh? what habit?”
“He seems to like to save up his forces and launch a single massive attack that his enemy can't recover from.”
Xu Da nodded in agreement. “You seem to be onto something, Baron. He did the same thing with you and me in our battle at Jerusalem.”
“As a spectator, there was something else I found interesting. He managed to dig a network of tunnels in just the first two months of battle. He then used these tunnels to send spies into your ranks, and steal stores of weapons without being noticed.”
“Really?” Ban Chao’s eyes widened. “I had no idea.”
Baron nodded. “So, it seems that Han Xin is also a master, or at least a fan, of espionage. He was very steady in his underhanded moves, to keep it unnoticed by Ban Chao. This is another thing we will have to stay wary of.”
Yue Fei nodded. “That's true. I might be able to use this to my advantage when I face him next.”
Baron warned. “Be careful. We still don't know very much about how he thinks. He may not go all out this next time just to throw us off.”
“I understand. Let's just hope that he doesn’t pull out another scary blueprint against us.”
Baron shrugged. “Even if he does, you should prepare for all finalities.”
“I can be prepared for the exploding gunpowder now that I know he has it. However, to be prepared for everything is just asking too much of me.”
“Just try your best, and hold out for as long as you can.”
“I'll try my best.”
The four of them nodded at each other, then Yue Fei went to challenge Han Xin. However, this time was different. Han Xin actually allowed Yue Fei to choose the setting himself instead of letting random luck decide it. Baron, Xu Da, and Ban Chao had only ever perceived Han Xin as a sort of cold and distant person. His being polite to Yue Fei was the first time they’d ever seen this side of him. He was truly a curious person.
At first, Yue Fei was hesitant to accept this offer, but after a little back and forth and a little persuasion from Baron, Yue Fei decided to choose the setting himself. He and the others decided to pick the Battle of Thermopylae as the simulation setting. Yue Fei would be the attacking side.
No matter what Baron thought of Han Xin, it was clear that Han Xin was very skilled in the art of warfare. Although the previous two simulations with Xu Da and Ban Chao told a lot about Han Xin, Baron didn't have nearly enough to get a solid picture of this legend just yet.
Nearly everyone on planet four had experienced a simulation of the Battle of Thermopylae. This was because it was a preferred setting to train one’s strategies when heavily outnumbered.
Yue Fei was not one to underestimate people. He knew if he showed the slightest bit of mercy, nothing good would come of it. Especially against an enemy as tough as Han Xin.
Han Xin was a man of action — he preferred to communicate through action instead of words. He believed in karma, but actively sought justice for those who needed it. Except, he did this in the shadows. The good deeds he’d done on planet four had gone unnoticed. This was partially because of his preference to keep his life quiet and simple. If his contributions were leaked to the public, he’d almost definitely be one of the Chinese community’s elders.
The reason that Han Xin was friendlier towards Yue Fei was because right after Yue Fei had made it to his elder seat, he’d used his position to help many others out of the kindness of his heart — despite the rough nature of planet four. Han Xin had met an unfortunate end on Earth. He’d risen to prominence too quickly and had attracted too many enemies. So many that his enemies had pooled together their connections and managed to have Han Xin and his entire clan executed. This wasn’t uncommon in China’s history, but Han Xin had never thought that it would happen to him.
During the simulation’s preparatory period, Han Xin had built quite a bit of stash of weapons to fight back Yue Fei's four hundred and fifty thousand strong army. In the meantime, Yue Fei constructed his own secret little blueprint, one that Baron had specially given to him to use against Han Xin. The only issue was that it would take about three weeks to build the object.
Once the battle phase started, Yue Fei's attacking army stayed motionless for three days. The third night, Yue Fei ordered his troops to let loose as many arrows as they could into the general direction of the enemy.
Despite the darkness, Han Xin had quickly reacted and moved his troops behind cover. Yue Fei had used well over a million arrows, but was only able to kill a few tens of Han Xin’s troops.
Not a great start.
Chapter 29
Dealing With Spies
A week had passed since the battle officially began and Yue Fei seemed to be only haphazardly committing his forces to look for other ways in and to fight the soldiers in the narrow impasse. Han Xin knew that Yue Fei was up to something, but he didn't know what. Therefore he could only prepare his soldiers for the worst.
On Yue Fei's side.
“Lieutenant Bee, how are the preparations coming along?” Yue Fei asked Lieutenant Bee with anticipation.
“It's about a third of the way done, and there don’t seem to be any complications on our part. With this progress, we should finish this project in two weeks.” Lieutenant Bee said satisfaction.
“That's good to hear. Have we found a passage to flank our enemy with?”
“We’ve only found a few small passages, unfortunately.”
“Ah, is that so?” Yue Fei shrugged. “Not to worry — there are other ways to win, here.”
Lieutenant Bee nodded. “Such is war.”
Yue Fei nodded in return. “I’m having Robert the Engineer create a top secret weapon that should guarantee our success in this battle. As long as it’s built…"
Lieutenant Bee finished the
sentence. “Victory is ours.”
After a brief discussion, Lieutenant Bee left the room, and an engineer by the name of Robert entered. Yue Fei had a special weapon he wanted built — so special that only the one in charge of working on it could know the full details.
“You wanted to see me about something? If it's about the current project then you don't need to worry about anything. We are working as quickly as we can, and we are on schedule.” Engineer Robby said quickly.
Yue Fei shook Robby’s hand while shaking his head. “That’s wonderful news, but that’s not why I called you here.”
“Oh. Then what can I help you with, general?” He said as he took a seat directly opposite of Yue Fei.
“I won't lie to you. I believe there is a spy in our midst. I need this to be handled before we launch our offensive in a few week’s time.”
“A spy? Do you have an idea as to who it might be?”
“I'm not too sure.” Yue Fei said, but he was fairly sure it was his own lieutenant, Lieutenant Bee. But, he didn’t have any evidence, yet.”
Robert spread out his hands. “How can I help you with this? I just build things.”
Yue Fei nodded. “I know this. You’re to be the bait. If the spy captures you for interrogation, or if someone keeps trying to bait you into talking about your work, then we’ll know who the spy is. I’ve informed a few of my senior officials that you and I are working on a project together, and that they aren’t to know of it for the sake of secrecy. We’ll see who bites.”
Robert nodded. “I see… I don’t mind being the bait. Are you sure they’ll fall for the bait?”
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